WHY LAUGH-AND-A-HALF?

How It All BeganThe creation of the Laugh-and-a-Half-Marathon started as a way to promote wellness, as well as remember comedy legend and Norfolk, Nebraska native, Johnny Carson. However, it became apparent that it could help foster a connection to something more.​We owe much to the late night king for bringing laughter into our lives and we support the power and effect it can have on us all. As it has been said, “Laughter is the best medicine,” We hope that rings true not only during this event but long after.

What We Support​​The funds raised through the Laugh-and-a-half-marathon continue to support pediatric needs in northeast Nebraska, especially in the area of healthcare. A portion of this year's race funds will go towards purchase of the following:

State-of-the-art incubator and pediatric hospital equipment

This equipment is not considered a luxury but rather essential for best practices for excellent perinatal and newborn care. We like to think that all deliveries go smoothly and the babies are stable and ready to be snuggled in their mother's arms, however, sometimes babies are born before they should be or they are born with complications. When this happens, it is critical to have the proper equipment to stabilize them and transport them to an appropriate environment. The Dual Incu I is the first incubator of its kind to have a built-in battery to support all of the equipment needed to safely stabilize and transport a newborn who has special needs. It can offer open care to enable better medical care, yet closed care as a warmer to allow the baby to be transported from one area to another. This allows for safe transport and reduces the baby's stress, while allowing staff to provide excellent care in the pediatric unit at Faith Regional Health Services.

The following are a few highlights of past local projects this race has helped support:

Embrace Park Receives Key Donation: Read More >

Embrace Park:Embrace Park is a new inclusive playground in Norfolk. Embrace Park consists of a fully accessible, all-inclusive, multi-level playground and will include a splash pad with specialized equipment that will allow children of all abilities to play together. Children with physical, social, and/or sensory disabilities are able to play alongside their siblings, friends and peers with minimal barriers. The playground has ramps to allow children who use walkers or crutches to access all three levels of the playground; swings with special seats and harnesses to allow children who do not have the trunk control to use a regular playground swing; a merry-go-round with harnessed seats to provide safe enjoyment for all; over 20 play boards specifically designed by a speech therapist for children with sensory impairments; and a flooring surface, tested to exceed industry standards for fall protection requirements and provides a flat surface for easy access to and around all the playground equipment. It will also feature a Splash Pad that will allow children to play alongside one another in the water. Use of the splash pad and the playground is/will be completely free to the public. To learn more about Embrace Park, join the group "Embrace Park" on Facebook.

Pedal Park: Norfolk's Pedal Park is a bicycle safety park located next to the Norfolk YMCA and encourages bicycle safety. Every May, the Landon Bos Memorial Bicycle Rodeo event is held to help teach kids bicycle safety and the rules of the road, however, the park is free and open to the public all year around.

TheraPlay:Faith Regional TheraPlay is an outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy area designed just for kids with physical, developmental, social or emotional problems and need specialized assistance and therapy. From private therapy rooms to state-of-the-art equipment and toys, such as a rock climbing wall, swimming pool and slide, TheraPlay provides children and their families a playful, kid-friendly environment to help them reach their highest potential.

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